


Ghost Butterflies

by Darkwalk



Category: The Transformers (Cartoon Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-08 10:39:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8841376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkwalk/pseuds/Darkwalk
Summary: Lightning strikes quickly. But like ripples in water, thunder stays long after. And some memories will never fade.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in the middle of the next chapter for my Mythverse stories when this hit me out of nowhere.
> 
> It won't make sense unless you've read “Rolling Storms” which is on Fanfiction, but not Archives. There are a lot of references in here.  
> Warning: it's sad and a bit strange.

She could never sit next to a wall.

There had to be two empty seats on either side of her, or they would fight. And if she was against one of the classroom walls, the pair would argue and grumble about whose turn it was to claim the seat closest to her. To solve this, she'd found it easier to just remain in a spot that had several empty seats. Of course, if her classmates took the chairs then the other two growled. 

Not that it did any good. She was the only one who could hear them. But that was the reason she had a reputation for sitting by herself. 

Today was good though. Some of the other kids weren't there so the eight-year old had no trouble finding a spot with empty seating. The quieter one slid into the vacant space on her left and lay his head on the table, disinterested in what was going on around them. Mischief red curled against her back, a warmth that wasn't really there before he set his head on her right shoulder. Shay resisted the urge to smile. If she did, the other kids would want to know what was so funny and she couldn't tell them. They all thought she was weird already. 

English class was slow. The girl liked figuring out how the letters went together to make words because new words were interesting and her spelling wasn't all that good yet. But Sideswipe had a mild animosity toward the subject and was bored. He fidgeted, brushing against her before slumping down. Today was dodgeball and he couldn't wait for gym class. It always made the pair happy and miserable because they liked the thrill of it but could never participate beyond giving her tips. Unless they melted inside her for a time and she let them guide her actions. But they didn't do it very often. Sunstreaker was not a fan of English either. He liked History and Art though.

Her teachers told her that she was a good artist. She never told them she wasn't. Shay only put together the colors Sunstreaker told her to. 

When it came time for recess, they slipped outside quietly. Shay rarely spoke up much. Early on she'd learned it wasn't a good idea to tell people about the brothers. They didn't believe her and the girl had a feeling that (Bad Things) would happen if she told. If anything, she talked more when Sunny or Sides had questions and she had to ask other people for the answers. Or if someone made her angry. Then she said insults without thinking that made no sense. Grownups thought she was making up words but she insisted they were real things. The Twins always laughed when she did this, amused that she was such as spitfire. 

A brisk wind blew her tawny hair back as they stepped outside. It made her shiver but she felt more awake for it. Darting around like lunatics, the other two started a strange game of chase as she went toward the swings. They were her favorite part of the playground. As Shay pushed off, kicking her shoes away so her toes could feel the chill, she watched the Twins out of the corner of her eye. There but not there. More a feeling than anything else. 

For a while, the girl had tried comparing them to the sun and moon. Sunstreaker was golden rays that broke through the clouds and made things look pretty. But then Sideswipe would have to be the moon and that didn't fit. He was flames, burning bright and bringing warmth when people were cold. 

They told her she was the moon, quiet and shy and full of silver light that was a guide in the dark. They were the suns and stars full of life to remind people to smile. 

No one had taught the eight year old that the stars were suns, just very far away. It didn't make sense to her, but she believed them. They would never lie to her. Besides, her eyes were pale and Sunstreaker said they looked like the moon. Whenever she glanced in the mirror, Shay always just saw blue streaks fading to gray. But Sunstreaker didn't say things unless he meant it. 

After a few swings, her bare feet were reaching the highest point they could, almost on level with her head as she leaned back. Shay loved the wind, feeling it whisper over her skin and wash across her eyelids as she closed them. It reminded her of- /wind/rain/clouds lightly darting past her/ electricity flashing through the air as they chased and ran/ dancing through the storm/.

Sideswipe called them ghost butterflies. Showing up at odd times, they lingered in the back of her mind like memories partially forgotten and hovered just out of reach. For some reason, the name fit. So neither she nor Sunstreaker argued against it. 

All too soon, it was time to go in. The mulch would tear up her feet if she tried to use them to slow down, so instead, the child just tucked her legs in and waited. After a moment or so, it had slowed enough that she jumped. If there was ever a choice, Shay jumped off the swings. The weightless feeling that came when she left the ground never lasted long enough. 

A stumble when pale bare feet his ground. Perhaps she had been a little too high that time. 

It stung, wood bits digging into her soft skin. Tears welled in her eyes until she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. One of the teachers came over and fussed over her with worry. “Oh honey, are you alright?”

“I'm fine.” Echo/echo/echo. She'd said that before, sometime when it was important and it tugged at her, but she couldn't remember when. Another ghost butterfly.

Sideswipe huffed, rubbing his face along her back and hiding it in her hair. /Silly/

Frustrated that she got herself hurt, he couldn't help but be amused because it reminded him of himself and his twin. A silent pillar sitting on the ground and curled up against her, Sunstreaker wordlessly expressed pride at her stubbornness. Little pains weren't bad. Nothing serious to worry about. 

/Just don't go jumping off higher things./

/I wouldn't do something stupid like that./ She replied with a silent flat look, the corner of her mouth unintentionally quirking up the tiniest bit when the teacher was looking down at her scratches.

Sunstreaker chuckled, /I can think of someone who would./ His twin gave him a weird look, caught between denying it and preening because it was true.

Getting her shoes on, and being admonished for having them off in the slightly chilly weather, the child was taken back inside to finish out the school day. When evening came and dinner was finished at home, Shay snuck out the back door and climbed the hill behind the house. 

She didn't like living in the suburbs. But at least there were large hills covered with trees nearby. Sitting on a large branch in their favorite tree at a lookout spot, she gazed down the slope to where the buildings clustered together into a small city and the lights that came on as the sun went down. The Twins lounged around her, watching silently too. 

The sunset was pretty. Ones with lots of reds, oranges, and yellows were the best. For some reason, when the night came, Shay always got a feeling of dread. As if she were all by herself and had somewhere to be in a hurry. There was something she had to keep safe. 

Her parents got worried when she was outside after dark and they didn't know where she was. So she tried to avoid doing that. 

But it would be a few hours before the sky turned softly black and at least another twenty minutes before her mom realized she wasn't in her room. Swinging her feet, the eight-year old studied the violets that were creeping into the reds. /Sideswipe?/

/???/ Mischief turned his attention toward her instead of teasing his brother. 

When he was sulking, Shay called him Sullen. But it didn't fit most of the time because he only sulked occasionally. Like now when his twin was poking him in the face while he was lounging. Smiling at the strange show of brotherly affection, the girl grew a bit more serious, face turning back toward the clouds. 

/What went wrong?/

Something had gone wrong, somewhere. She didn't know what. It stuck to the back of her throat, hung round her head like a weighted wreath. Deep into her core, past bone and marrow, she could feel that it should not have been this way. 

Silence as the three contemplated things they didn't understand. /I dunno./

They didn't know other than the wish for storm clouds. The need to run, to drive, for rain and wind and thunder, for a huge open sky above them, waves of grass shifting under their feet, flight even though none of them had wings. For stars glowing in the darkness and warm metal and calm glowing blue eyes as many others they didn't know pulled them close into a hug.

All hovering behind her eyelids if she just kept them closed long enough. When everything was silent, Shay could just barely hear thunder in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea where this came from and Shay and the Twins haven't bothered me in awhile so I haven't a clue of what's going on. The characters in my stories are glitches when they get like this. Now I'm sad. 
> 
> I may possibly write another piece for this but don't hold your breath.


	2. Chapter 2

If there was one person she could be weird around without worrying, it was the boy who lived several houses down from her's, and that was only because he was even stranger. 

The first time they met, she had been on the swing set. Apparently the thirteen-year old was in her school too. He'd ditched class and was sneaking around in the bushes so the teachers wouldn't see him. Eventually though, he'd gotten bored of that and when he saw her jump off, he'd ran over to join her. 

“You do it too!” He crowed, curly black hair wild and hanging over his yellow eyes. 

Startled, the eight-year old tilted her head and looked at the older boy silently. People rarely talked to her. The Twins watched the newcomer with curiosity. When she said nothing, the boy plopped down on the swing next to hers and continued. “You jump off.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

Watching him, she slunk back and kicked off from the ground. They went back and forth for awhile before she spoke up. “Why do you jump?”

He smiled, an impish look. “It feels like flying.”

And from that, they met to practice flying. Eventually, she told him her name although he was strange about his own. He didn't like it and had picked another, but wouldn't tell. Sideswipe stood behind the boy and made a face, trying to get Shay to laugh when the little girl was busy scowling. 

“But you have to have a name.” She insisted.

Crossed arms, as her friend started to pout. For a teenager, he acted younger. Even she was more mature than he was, most of the time. Sideswipe wasn't though. Even though they had some similarities, the Twins weren't sure what to make of the boy. And neither did she. Some little tiny fragile thing at the back of her mind itched, when she listened to him speaking.

“Everyone says it's stupid.” He finally huffed, bottom lip sticking out.

Sitting on the steps of the slide, Shay tucked her chin into her palms, “I promise I won't laugh.” He peered at her with one eye open, the other squeezed shut, his face screwed up as if he were trying to decide whether he was being lied to. Then his mouth widened as he flashed a toothy grin. 

“Skywarp.”

/cold/deep/darkness going on forever/ light above but she couldn't lift her head/ water/water/so much/ her chest hurt/ she needed to breathe/numb/throat hurt/panic...../ It was a good thing the little girl had so much practice not reacting physically. A ghost butterfly jarred her away from reality for a few seconds and Shay could only blink, taking a slightly deeper breath before calming. 

The Twins were not calm. 

/I don't like him!/ Sideswipe yelled, bristling and leaning up against her side with an arm around her shoulders. /He's not good!/

/What does that even mean, Sides?/ Shay replied quietly. Something in the name set off warning bells in her head too but the boy hadn't done anything wrong yet. In fact, he had been friendlier than most of the other kids she knew. Out loud, she stated honestly. “It fits you.”

Skywarp beamed, even when Sunstreaker growled and took a couple swings at him. 

/Sunstreaker!/ A sharp reprimand. Not that it did any good. The golden brother just snarled and stalked invisibly around the boy like he was trying to intimidate him. 

/He's dangerous!/

/He's a kid too./ She sighed. /And he hasn't done anything mean yet. Leave him alone for now./

Despite the brothers' deep mistrust of Skywarp, and Shay's own wariness, they continued to be friends of a sort. He always wore purple shirts because that was his favorite color. Showing her his toy planes, the boy described how great a pilot he was going to be, shooting down enemies and being the best dog fighter there ever was. Always listening, she eventually learned that he liked being around her because she reminded him of someone else. 

“Who?”

Skywarp shrugged, hanging upside down from a tree branch at the park. “I can't remember. When I try, I think about blue..... and a red stripe and.....” Nose wrinkling in frustration, he smacked his fists against the trunk. “Aaauuugh!!!”

/Shay/ Sunstreaker hissed quietly.

Growling, the Twins had grabbed onto her shoulders and were glaring at the boy. But he merely righted himself and hopped down, stomping back and forth with a furious look on his face. With a frown, Shay dug into her pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar. It was supposed to be for later but this was more important. The girl held it out silently to the bigger kid. 

Taking it automatically as soon as he saw it, Skywarp gave her a confused look while peeling the wrapper back. “Why?”

“Because you can't remember and that's sad. I forgot things too and it makes me cry.”

He smirked, “Crying is for wimps.”

“Maybe.” A solemn reply, not affected by his opinion. 

With a dramatic flop, he plunked down to sit at the base of the tree and looked at the tops of trees when she sat next to him. Nibbling the candy, a quiet mumble just barely reached her ears. “Thank you.”

Since he couldn't always sneak out of class at the right time, Skywarp and Shay often met at the park near the school. Her parents never minded bringing her there. Sometimes she needed a break from swinging and played in the sandbox by herself. The Twins loved it. While Sunstreaker didn't like the sand, it couldn't cling to him so he tolerated it. Mostly, they were happy when she was away from her other friend and it gave the pair an excuse to argue over the best way to make a sandcastle. 

/It needs more water./ Sullen grumbled, slumped and leaning with his back against her shoulder, head resting against hers. He eyed the pebbles his brother was encouraging her to put in the walls. 

/Nooo!/ retorted Sideswipe, sticking his tongue out at the cross look he got. /It already has enough water. It'll fall over at this point. We need a red flag on top. And little army guys to guard it./

/It needs water!/ 

/Does not!/

Shay hummed to distract them, picking up some scavenged bottle caps to make windows. /We don't have a red flag./ Smiling gently at his groan of disappointment, she sorted the colors. /I'll ask Dad the next time he takes us to the store./

“Ow!”

She yelped when a sharp edge on one of the caps sliced her finger. Without thinking, the girl put it in her mouth, tasting salt and iron as the blood touched her tongue. 

“Now don't do that!” An exclamation had the trio looking up to see a man with a duffel bag dropping to her side. He quickly pulled her hand from her mouth and brought out a bandage. “Your mouth has a lot of germs and it can infect the cut.” 

While bringing a tube of antiseptic from his bag, he paused to actually look at her and froze. A familiar tired face stared back at him. Rounder and smaller than he was used to, but still unmistakably her. She studied him, just as startled. 

/Hey Sunny, he looks familiar./ Sideswipe got up and wandered around the adult, studying his features. /Why is he familiar?/

While the man didn't look any older thirty, his hair was a very pale shade of almost white with a few streaks of faint red running through. Dressed in jeans and a plain tee-shirt, the only remarkable thing about him besides his hair was the lab coat he wore. It had a red cross on the left shoulder. Weathered blue eyes reflecting kindness and sudden hope seemed to see her, far more than anyone else besides the Twins ever did.

/I...... have no idea. But....../ Unable to express what he meant in words, Sunstreaker shoved a wave of trust out. The other two silently agreed. This man seemed alright. That decided, the more mischievous twin tried to get a look to see what was in the bag. 

“What's in your bag?” Shay asked for Sides. 

That broke whatever spell cause the adult to pause. He flicked his eyes closed for a second, letting out a deep sigh of relief, and quickly bandaged the small cut. “Wrenches, parts, bandages, and a portal to another dimension.” A tiny crooked smile appeared after the last part. 

It set the trio off giggling, although Sideswipe whined when the man closed the bag. With a tilt of her head, Shay flexed her fingers and looked up, “You're nice.”

/That's not a thank you./ A gentle reminder from Sunstreaker. He was more mellow than he usually was when strangers talked to Shay. 

“Thank you.” She continued before the man could say anything. “Did you make the portal?”

The corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled, slightly more this time in weary amusement, “No, I helped. But a friend of mine made it. I don't suppose you would like to meet him?”

/YES!/ Shouted the Twins, and Shay almost laughed as Sideswipe started to bounce on his heels. She didn't need any encouragement. A quick glance at a nearby bench showed her mom had fallen asleep while reading again and Shay got up. Getting off his knees, the adult started to walk along the path. She trailed along behind, picking up the pink dogwood blossoms that had started to drift down now that the weather had warmed. 

“Do you have a red flag in your bag?” 

He sent her a curious and bemused look. “I'm afraid not. Are you going to ask my name?”

In a sudden run, she darted ahead of him and turned around. Feet planted, she put her hands on her hips and looked up, blocking his way. Forced to stop, he raised an eyebrow. 

“You have to guess mine.” She informed him promptly, Sideswipe whispering in her ear while Sunstreaker rolled his eyes.

“Hmm. What if I get it right?” His eyes crinkled again. 

She smiled at him for the first time, “Then you tell me yours.”

“And if I'm wrong?” 

That gave her pause. “Um.......” She looked to the red hellion on her shoulder but he shrugged, trying to think of something. 

To their surprise, the man laughed. It was a rough and low sound but it tugged at her insides, stirring up the butterflies that twirled around frantically. “Well, that doesn't matter. Your name is Shay. Mine is Ratchet.” 

She tucked her hand into his calloused one, mind buzzing as they continued along. They knew that name. It was a good name. Sunstreaker stepped even with Ratchet and matched him step for step, not taking his sight from the man that led them toward a copse of large maples where the path curved. Under the patchy shade of the branches, they could see people. Two were leaning against the bark and seemed to be looking down at something on the ground. Out of the shade and sitting cross-legged in the grass, the third man scratched his head. Gray hair with hints of blonde stuck out in strange directions. He was also wearing a lab coat, but instead of a red cross like Ratchet's, his had a green t-rex patch on the shoulder. 

Fiddling with some metal device in his hands, the Dinosaur guy raised it up and then lowered it, doing something with buttons. A low beeping sound reached her ears as they got closer. It started to pick up. 

“Hey!-” Looking up in excitement, he caught sight of the approaching pair and stared at them owl-eyed for a moment, “Ah.”

A large and bright smile that radiated pure joy broke across his face as the beeping thing got louder and faster. He held it up to Shay for a second and the thing shrilled until he turned it off. “Hi!”

His smile was contagious. The girl let go of Ratchet and walked right up to the other, poking his patch. “I like your dinosaur.” She stated with solemn conclusion, “But there needs to be more.”

“Quite right.” Even though he looked incredibly happy, his tone was serious and Shay giggled when Sideswipe started trying to mess with the other man's hair. It was all over the place. 

“Hey! Don't I get a hug!? Or at least a hello?” 

She looked over to see one of the men under the tree waving his arms to get attention. Black hair twisted into dreadlocks, the dark skinned man tipped his wrap-around shades down to get a better look at her, white teeth flashing. Sunstreaker rumbled a warning, circling the man. As Shay approached, she could see a chess board on the ground between Glasses guy and the last silent man. Bristling a little, Sunny let out a loud sigh before relaxing a little. 

/He's dangerous, but not.... bad./

Nodding in agreement, the child wobbled on the tips of her toes and looked at the game pieces. Glasses smiled and piped up, “Would you like to play?”

“No.” An immediate answer before she thought about what she was saying, “You'll cheat.”

Loud cackles from the two with lab coats as Jazz protested, “Nah kid. I promise I'll play fair.” Even the fourth man smirked. As soon as Shay turned to study him, the Twins roared, identical howls of rage and defensiveness. 

She flinched, shocked. Sunstreaker tried to punch the man but his fist went right through. Sideswipe bared his teeth, lunging forward and back with no effect before trying to tug Shay away. /Bad! Shay, he's bad and dangerous! Get Back!/

He didn't look dangerous. No older than seventeen or maybe eighteen, his skin was a mixed shade of tan and something exotic. Wearing a red half-jacket with large cargo pockets over a loose tee-shirt and dark blue pants, the man studied her with faint amusement. Black hair chopped short lay like he hadn't bothered to comb it recently and framed a pretty slim face with red eyes. The longer the child stared into that dark red, the more easily she could see something scary hiding in there.

But his features bothered her in other ways. “You look like a friend of mine.”

/Shay! What are you doing?!/ Sunstreaker bellowed, fuming that she wasn't moving. However, his brother stopped snarling enough to take another look at the dangerous one. /Hey Sunny, he does kinda look like Skywarp./

/Which is all the more reason not to like him!/

“Is that so?” Inquired the red-eyed man, voice soft but scratchy and higher pitched than she'd expected. Cruelty lingered in his words. It sent shivers down her spine and dread creeping along her limbs. But Ratchet was right next to her and he wasn't going to let anything bad happen. She didn't react when the Twins growled. Like a mouse caught in a hawk's sight, Shay locked her knees and froze as he continued. “Do you know where Skywarp is?”

So they were related. Shay would have bet this one was Skywarp's older brother or something. Their faces were too similar. Slowly, she lifted a hand and pointed back the way she'd come. “Swings.”

Immediately getting up, Red eyes started past her and she twitched back, bumping into Ratchet's legs. Flanking her, the Twins rumbled and watched him with narrowed eyes. Taking a deep and nervous breath, she piped up, “Did he hide when you weren't looking?”

That seemed like something Skywarp would do. Sometimes he jumped out of the bushes to scare her which was mean but she always called him the weird names when he did that which pleased the Twins. Other times, Skywarp would suddenly vanish for awhile only to pop up later like he hadn't been gone at all. Stopping for a few seconds without turning around, Red eyes lifted his head to stare at the sky before replying. “Something like that.”

And with that, he kept going, long strides eating up the ground. Shay let out a shaky sigh of relief and tried to calm her heart. Sideswipe tangled himself around her arm, head hiding between her shoulder and her neck. Ratchet once again crouched to be on her level as Glasses put away his game. 

“Buck up kid. You're okay.” It wasn't said unkindly. 

A nod as she twitched her fingers, sliding them into Sunstreaker's invisible hand, “We don't like him.”

Oops. 

“We?” Dinosaur guy and Ratchet chorused in surprise. Glasses merely watched her with a knowing look on his face. Cringing, Shay stared at the ground and curled her toes. That was why she had to be careful when she talked. Sometimes things she didn't want known slipped out. 

“Shay.” Ratchet lifted her chin with a steady hand. “Where are Sideswipe and Sunstreaker?”

“With me.” Tired and thoughtful gray eyes blinked up at Ratchet. Sideswipe crowed, jumping around and tugging his brother to join him. 

/Did you hear that?! They know us!/

Sunstreaker snorted derisively, /Of course they do./ Somehow, the thought of them not knowing the Twins was foreign and strange. Letting out a sigh of relief, Ratchet asked her another question. “Do you remember us?”

She frowned. She did know them. But..... “You're one of the forgotten things.”

“What forgotten things?” Glasses was still sitting in the grass but he scooted over so he was closer and in her sight again. Sunstreaker settled on the ground and stared at the dark-skinned man, fingers ghosting over the man's shades.

“The stuff I forgot. Sometimes I remember a little bit. Sideswipe calls them Ghost Butterflies because they're not really there.”

Trading glances, the adults seemed to nod to each other before Glasses introduced himself. “Well, I'm Jazz. Special Ops extraordinaire and master of cool tricks.” Jumping up, Jazz did a hand stand before shoving off with a grunt and flipping. Shay grinned at the show. 

/I can do that!/ Sideswipe insisted, trying to copy Jazz. 

Clanking noises drew their attention. Opening Ratchet's duffel bag, Dinosaur guy had started to pull out pieces of strange machinery and was snapping it together, forming a circle on the ground. When he noticed her stare, he looked up and smiled. “Oh right. I'm Wheeljack.”

“Wheeljack who needs more dinosaurs.”

“No! We have enough at home!” Snapped Ratchet, which just made Sunstreaker grin and Sideswipe laugh. Remembering earlier words, the girl raised an eyebrow.

“Did you really build a portal?”

Wheeljack furrowed his brow, looked at Ratchet for clarification before shrugging, “With a little help, but yes.”

Echoing the Twins words, she breathed quietly, “Cool.” A pause as something occurred to the girl. “Can you make fireworks too?”

“Sure?”

/Yes! Fireworks!/ Sideswipe cheered. Humming happily, the golden twin agreed. /Good fireworks. And sparklers./ 

/-running/laughter/ cheaters were chasing her around/ harsh breathing/this was fun/her sparklers died out/ but there were plenty more-/

A snicker. Jazz looked like he knew a secret but she just ignored him. Turning his head, the saboteur looked at the path. “Looks like the gang's all here.”

“I found Star!” Hollered Skywarp. The teen was clinging to Starscream's back with his head of curly hair draped over a shoulder. Red-eyed Star seemed content, a bemused grin trying to sneak out from behind his smirk. Although he wasn't thickly built, he seemed to have no trouble giving the younger male a ride. Grinning so wide it threatened to stretch his face, Skywarp waved at her, “We're going home!”

/Home? We're going home?/ Sideswipe murmured, joy and confusion in his tone. 

Setting his chin atop Shay's head, arms wrapped around her shoulders, Sunstreaker whispered, /Where's home?/

/I guess we'll find out./ She replied, sudden apprehension making her grab at Ratchet. “But what about my mom and dad? They'll miss me if I'm gone.” /-no notes/those aren't good enough/ echo/ echo/ echo-/

“Hey, it's okay.” Wheeljack leaned around his friend, answering before Ratchet could. He crouched and put a palm on either of her cheeks to cup her face, “You trust me, right?”

“Yeah.” There was no doubt. 

Not with him staring at her like he knew her, giving off such calming waves of confidence and joy. Not with the ghost butterflies whispering that he was good and a friend. Not with the brothers poking at his ears and head because there needed to be lights and colors that were missing. Glowing blue eyes full of cheer and laughter because something had gone wrong. Behind, she could hear Skywarp not so quietly stage-whisper, “Star, who are they?”

“Don't worry about them.” 

Wheeljack smiled, rubbing a thumb over her cheekbone were tears had started to gather, “When we go through the portal, the you and the Twins that are supposed to be with us are going to go home. And the you that is supposed to stay here with her mother and father will stay here. Okay?”

That was strange and a bit scary. But she was going to be strong so she and the Twins and Skywarp could go home. “Okay.” 

/Home home, we're going home..../ Singing softly, Mischief tugged at her hair without thinking and leaned against Ratchet, although the man would never know it. /I don't know where it is but it's good. There will be lots of storms and people we know and pranks and everyone else can see and here us too./

/Don't forget racing./ Chided Sunstreaker without any heat, a smile growing as he shoved Sideswipe off Ratchet, /and.....colors and paint./

Snapping the last piece into place, Wheeljack gave a thumbs up. The circle was several feet across and easily had enough room to hold them. A button was pushed and electricity crackled along the edges and lines until a bright light flared. It grew and rose into a shaft that reached past the treetops to the sky, breaking through the few clouds above. A faint wind blew back their hair. Standing, he checked over everything one last time before looking at the others. “We're good to go.”

“Ready?”

Ratchet opened his palm, a question on his face. After a few seconds hesitation, Shay clasped his hand, smaller fingers disappearing as she clutched tightly. Sunstreaker grabbed her other hand. A whine made Sunny and Shay frown. 

“Hold your right hand out.” She ordered. 

Ratchet looked down, startled, “Excuse me?”

“Sideswipe wants to hold your hand too. Hold your hand out.” Other hand clutched around the strap of the bag, Ratchet let go and stiffly held out his palm. Sideswipe grabbing it quickly, although nothing could be felt. Raising an eyebrow, Ratchet looked at the child who nodded. 

Jazz snickered again and got a withering look. Impatient with the others, Star huffed, “If you're quite done?”

Wheeljack nodded and Starscream and Skywarp (still cling to his back) went first. They disappeared into the column without another sound. Jazz brushed by them and followed. Taking a deep breath and trading encouragements with the Twins, Shay took a step and walked with Ratchet. At their back was the steady presence of Wheeljack. 

Another deep breath. They stepped forward, until she could see nothing but light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I couldn't leave it mopey. Now it has a happy ending. This is officially over.
> 
> If you think you know what's going on and want to stick with that, cool.  
> If you want to know my explanation, go read this: https://darkwalk.tumblr.com/post/154535615109/ghost-butterflies  
> Warning; crackish, a bit.


End file.
